Picture-hanger.



W. H. FRASER.

PIGTURE HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9,1909.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

3140a Mon Witnesses aRouuv- WILLIAM H. FRASER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PIGTURE-HANGER Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1909.

Patented J an. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 489,022.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. Fnnsnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Fran cisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Picture- Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for hanging pictures, and is primarily directed to that class of picture hangers employed for positioning a picture hook, to which the picture is attached through the medium of an. ordinary cord or wire upon the picture rod.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character having its parts so arranged and constructed as to produce a clamping or biting upon the picture hook to which the picture is attached, so that the heavier the picture or the more weight pressed upon the hook the tighter the said hook will be sustained upon the hanger.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description progresses the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the invention and in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of a picture hanger constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the clamping jaw.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral 1 designates a rod or handle for the improved hanger. The handle 1 is provided with a suitable centrally arranged opening adjacent its top which is adapted for the reception of a shank 2 of the improved hanger 3. This shank 2 is inclined or wedge shape as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawing and the hanger is provided with an integrally formed horizontal portion or body 4 from which projects suitable fingers 5 and 6. The body portion 4 is of a width greater than that of the shank 2 and the fin er 5 is of a width corresponding with the sald body 4. The finger 6 which is positioned upon the rear portion of the device in a substantial plane with the shank 2 is reduced and hasits upper extremity provided with oppositely extending offset portions 7 The upper portion of the hanger 3 thus provides a substantially U-shaped member and the upper face of the body 4 is provided with. a trans\"ersely extending substantially semicylindrical cut away portion 8. This cut away portion 8 positioned upon the body 4 directly opposite the linger 6 and at a distance away from the lingo The numeral 9 designates a clamping aw. This jaw 9 has its main body portion of a width corresponding with the width of the body 4 and. the finger 5 provided thereby, and the lower portion of the clamp is provided with a semi-cylindrical extension 10, which is adapted to fitwithin the cut away portion 8 of the body 4, for a purpose presently to be described. The clamping jaw 9 has its face, which is adapted to be positioned adjacent the finger 5 of the body portion 4, constructed in a substantially L-shape, thus providing a seat or offset 11 and a vertically extending contacting member 12. The opposite face of the member is provided with a pair of downwardly extending arms 13 positioned adjacent the sides of the said member 9 and adapted to engage the sides of the reduced finger 6 of the member 4. These projecting portions 13 are preferably constructed of somemalleable metal and have their extremities reduced as indicated by the numeral 14, whereby the same may be bent adjacent the outer face of the finger 6, thus securely retaining the clamping jaw 9 upon the member 4 but at the same time allowing the said clamping jaw to move upon its fulcrum 10 when the weight is placed upon the offset or seat 11, thus causing the finger 12 to be rotated toward the finger 5 and thereby tightly securing the wire sustaining portion of the usual S-shaped picture clamp tightly between the said jaws 5 and 12.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be noted that I have provided an extremely simple, cheap and efl ective device for the purpose intended, one in which the clamping jaw may be readily removed when desired and one in which the picture hook is rigidly and effectively retained, while the same is being positioned upon the picture rod, and one which readily releases its bite or hold when pressure upon the clamping jaw 9 is released.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A rod provided with a substantially U- shaped member, an offset clamping member fulcrumed between the arms of the U-shaped member and being loosely connected with one of the arms of the U-shaped member.

2. A handle provided with a substantially U-shaped member, an offset clamping jaw fulcrumed between the arms of said U shaped member, said clamping jaw being provided with extending spaced arms adapted to engage one of the arms of the U-shaped member.

3. In a device for the purpose set forth, a body portion provided with a shank and upstanding fingers spaced away from each other, said body portion having its upper face provided with a transverse semi-cylindrical cut away portion, an ofiset clamping jaw having its under face provided with an offset bearing portion adapted to engage the depression in the upper face of the body and said clamping jaw being provided with rearwardly extending spaced fingers adapted to be positioned adjacent one of the fingers of the body and to have their ends bent inwardly to retain the same upon the finger.

provided with a T-shaped head, spaced away from the first finger, a clamping member comprising a body portion having one of its faces offset, its lower portion provided with a rib adapted to engage the depression of the body and said clamping member being also provided with extending fingers positioned adjacent the T-shaped finger of the body and having their ends bent inwardly toward each other to sustain the same upon the body.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM H. FRASER.

Vitnesses ELIZABETH HARRIS, JAMES R. COLLINS. 

